Sara Simard returns to the Big Green bench for her third season as an assistant coach. Simard is responsible for the forwards and arranging team meals, while assisting in recruiting efforts, scouting and video breakdown.

Simard came to Hanover following a two-year stint as an assistant coach at the University of Maine in Orono. While with the Black Bears, she was the recruiting coordinator and assisted in all coaching responsibilities, including player development and on-ice systems.

Prior to Maine, Simard was a volunteer assistant at Mercyhurst College while attending the school to earn her master’s degree in organizational leadership. She earned her master’s in 2007. Her first assistant coaching job after graduating from St. Lawrence University was at the North American Hockey Academy in Stowe, Vt. She spent one season at NAHA and helped mentor and develop players to get them ready for the next step.

Her playing career began at Hebron Academy in Maine, where she played two seasons and was team captain for both of those years. She also led Hebron to the New England Prep School Athletic Conference Championship in 1999. Following her prep school career, she played four years at St. Lawrence University and helped lead the Saints to four ECAC Hockey Tournaments, two NCAA Frozen Fours and was a four-time member of the ECAC Hockey All-Academic Squad.

A 2004 graduate of St. Lawrence, Simard played one year of professional hockey with Lugano and earned a tryout with the Swiss National Team during her stint in Lugano, Switzerland.